Dating site girls ask to video call

They come on strong

If someone starts declaring their undying love for you after a couple of weeks, it could be a sign that they may be trying to catfish you. They may also try and get you off a dating site and into the realm of texts, instant messages or email as soon as possible.

That’s not to say that you can’t develop a deep connection with someone in a short time. However, it’s a bit suspect if they’re talking marriage after a third online conversation.

A common trend in catfishing is for the imposter to rush things and try to get very serious very quickly. This doesn’t allow the person being targeted to think about what’s happening as they get swept up in a whirlwind romance. It’s also a way to play with people’s emotions and keep them invested in this growing “relationship.”

They’re afraid of Skype

If you take nothing else from this article, this is probably the one lesson to learn. The one thing that everyone asks after they’re told a catfish story is “Have they not heard about Skype!?”

One of the consistent things about fraudsters involved in dating scams is that they refuse to have conversations by Skype or to use a webcam for video chats. This should be the signal to sound the “probably not real” klaxon. Texts, messages or even phone calls are all very well but a video conversation seems to be a pretty simple thing to arrange. Unless you’re a 50-year-old posing as a 20-year-old.

People who are scammed generally report that the other person made constant excuses to avoid going on camera. The obvious reason is because that they don’t look like the person in their profile picture. They’ll also want to avoid being identified because that’s a good way to end up in an awkward conversation with the authorities.

They live far, far away

Obviously, the chances of getting into a long distance relationship is higher if you’re using an online service and chatting to people from all over the world. That’s not to say that anyone who isn’t from your street is a crazy fraudster.

However, fraudsters will naturally try and cultivate long distance relationships because it means they have an excuse not to meet with their target. This gives them the space and time to cultivate a “relationship” and get their mark to trust them.
Catfishers often claim to be a soldier who has been posted overseas, someone whose work sees them travel a lot or any other number of professions that make it difficult to meet in person. Another typical example is for a fraudster to arrange to meet up with their target on several occasions and then to cancel at the last moment.

The ask for money

Some cases of catfishing involve people leading a victim on for personal reasons, with no attempt to extort money from them. While this can still be a devastating experience, being manipulated by a stranger can only be exasperated when they also take money from you. Online dating can be an obvious target for fraud, with criminals exploiting the combination of emotion, trust and wishful thinking in the worst possible way.

Common ruses involve asking for money to visit the target of the scam, giving victims a tale of woe about a medical emergency or serious illness, or some other convoluted financial difficulties that require a sudden injection of cash.

Their life sounds like a soap opera

A common theme that reoccurs with catfishing cases is for imposters to create fantastical stories that involve illness, family tragedies or major accidents that conveniently help to postpone a face-to-face meeting. So if your online sweetheart’s daily life sounds like something from a soap opera, it may be time to start asking questions.

While online dating is a perfectly legitimate way to meet people, make sure the object of your affection checks out! If you’ve become entangled with a fraudster, you could end up with a broken heart or an empty bank account – so be very careful!